How You Get the Girl
by lexaleigh
Summary: Inspiration from How You Get the Girl by Taylor Swift. Jimmy wants to win back the affections of his ex-girlfriend, Betty Quinlan but he's not sure how. That's where Cindy comes in. Too bad Jimmy doesn't know that Cindy really likes him. Cindy agrees to help him because she wants him to be happy. And that's all that matters, right? Rated T for safety, but K plus is more accurate.
1. That's How it Works

**Author's Note: Want to know why I haven't updated my other stories in a while? This. This is why. I had a sudden burst of inspiration about a month ago. Unfortunately it wasn't for anything that I already had written. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

"I just really miss her. I regret breaking up with her. I want to win her back, but I don't know how. Will you help me?" Jimmy practically begged.

"Sure. What are friends for?" Cindy smiled back.

"Thanks, Cindy. You're the best!" Jimmy leaned in and gave Cindy a hug. "Where do we start?"

"Well, actually, I'm kind of busy tonight," Cindy lied. "Can we meet tomorrow?"

"Oh. Yeah, that's fine. I was just kind of hoping to get Betty back before the dance. I'm probably going to need as much time as I can. But we can start tomorrow. Does noon work for you?"

"Noon works great," Cindy forced a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Awesome! Thanks again, Cindy. You're the best friend a guy could ask for."

Jimmy quickly walked across the street back to his house. Cindy closed her front door and started pounding her head lightly against it.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Cindy's dad asked as he walked into the front room.

"Everything is just great, Dad." Cindy started climbing the stairs to her room. "I'm going to get a head start on my homework."

"It's Friday night. Don't you have plans with your friends?" Mr. Vortex inquired.

Cindy sighed. "No, Sheen and Libby are out on a date, and it's after nine, so Carl is probably already asleep."

"Well, what about Jimmy?"

"Very funny, Dad."

"I don't see what's so funny. Aren't you friends with him?"

"I just don't feel like being around people right now, okay?" Cindy practically yelled.

"All right, sorry I asked," Cindy's dad gave her a sympathetic smile. "Enjoy your homework."

Cindy rolled her eyes and smiled. "Thanks, Dad. Goodnight."

When Cindy got to her room, she pulled out her phone and texted Libby. She knew that Libby would still be on her date, but she needed her best friend.

 _Cindy: SOS come over after your date please!_

Not five minutes later, Cindy's phone started to ring. It was Libby calling.

"Libby, what are you doing? Aren't you out with Sheen?"

"I told him I had to use the restroom, so I don't have long. What's wrong?"

"Jimmy came over and asked me to help him get Betty back," Cindy explained.

"You told him no, right?" When Cindy didn't reply, Libby sighed, "Girl, what are you doing? You're just going to get hurt!"

"What was I supposed to say, Libby? He's one of my best friends. I want him to be happy, and if being with Betty will make him happy, then so be it."

"Your happiness matters too though. Look, I hate to leave you like this, but I've got to get back. I'll text you as soon as I get home, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Have fun." Cindy hung up her phone and lay down on her bed. "God, what have I done?"

* * *

The next day, precisely at noon, there was a knock on Cindy's front door. Her parents were out running errands and Cindy had just finished her weekend chores. She opened the door to an eager Jimmy.

"Hey, Cindy." Jimmy barged his way into her house. "So, I was thinking—"

"That's always cause for trouble," Cindy teased.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny," Jimmy playfully punched her shoulder. "Anyway, I was thinking that since the dance is in three weeks, and she'll probably need a week to get a dress and stuff, I've got two weeks to win her back. Do you think that's enough time?"

"You've got this. All you need is some pointers. Come on." Cindy started up the stairs to her room, and Jimmy followed.

Cindy sat on her bed, and Jimmy sat at her desk taking notes on the advice Cindy was giving him.

"Just tell her that you've been thinking about it for a long time, and you realized that you were afraid to tell her what you wanted out of the relationship."

"Uh-huh. And what is that?" Jimmy responded as he wrote down what Cindy said.

"Seriously, Neutron? If you don't know what you want out of the relationship, then this is pointless. Why do you want to get back together with her?"

"Because I miss her company. She's so nice. She makes me feel happy, and I miss spending time with her. Besides that, she's a great kisser."

"I didn't need to know that, but okay. So, you need to tell her that. Tell her that you haven't been the same since you broke up, and that you're ready to be fully committed to the relationship."

"How did you know that was the reason we broke up?" Jimmy asked.

"Because you told me, dork. You said that Betty was mad at you for spending so much time in the lab, and you were mad that she didn't understand that your scientific work was an important part of your life. I figured out the rest on my own," Cindy explained.

"I can't believe you remember that. It was so long ago."

"Yeah, well, I guess I just have a good memory."

"Thanks again for helping me out. I really owe you one."

"What are best friends for?" Cindy forced a smile.

Jimmy nodded and returned her smile. "So should I, like, bring her flowers or something?"

"That's not a bad idea, Neutron. See? You don't need my help."

"Well that's not true. I wouldn't know what to say without your help. I'd be a bumbling idiot holding a bouquet of pink roses."

"Why pink roses?"

"Those are her favorite flowers," Jimmy said.

"Oh," Cindy replied.

"So, what should I say?"

"Tell her that you want her back, and that you're sorry for breaking her heart. Tell her that you'll wait as long as it takes for her to forgive you, and that you promise to put her first."

"Wow. Cindy, you're good! How do you come up with this stuff?"

Cindy shrugged. "I guess I just know what girls like."

Jimmy looked at his watch. "Oh, wow, I've got to get going if I want to get to the florist before they close. Thanks for your help, Cindy. You're the best."

"Good luck," Cindy said half-heartedly.

Jimmy smiled as he shoved his notebook and pencil into his backpack before slinging it over his shoulder and walking out of Cindy's bedroom, down the stairs and out the front door.

"Sunflowers, thanks for asking," Cindy muttered to herself as she lay on her bed annoyed at herself for agreeing to help Jimmy.

* * *

After an uneventful Saturday, Cindy was woken up by her phone buzzing. She looked at who was calling her and groaned.

"You do realize you woke me up on the one day that my mom lets me sleep in right?" Cindy stated.

"Well good morning to you too," Jimmy laughed. "Want to meet for coffee? I've got some stuff to tell you."

Cindy quickly thought over her options. She knew that eventually she would have to hear about what had happened between Jimmy and Betty, and this way she would at least get some coffee out of it. "Okay, but you're buying," Cindy finally replied.

"Of course! I don't know what I would do without your help. Buying you a coffee is the least I could do. Meet me outside in twenty minutes."

Cindy sighed as she got out of bed. She walked into her bathroom to wash her face and brush her hair. She debated putting her contacts in and wearing make-up, but since this whole meeting was about how Jimmy was getting back together with Betty, she didn't see the point.

Cindy put on some yoga leggings and a hoodie before walking downstairs. She was just about to leave, when her mother walked in the room.

"You're up early for a Sunday," Mrs. Vortex stated.

"I'm getting coffee with Jimmy," Cindy replied as she finished tying her shoe.

"You're going out looking like that?" Mrs. Vortex was always concerned about appearances.

"Mom, I'm going down the street to the coffee shop with my friend. Who am I trying to impress?" Cindy argued. "Besides, I might go for a run after." That was a lie, and Cindy knew her mother wouldn't fall for it, but it was worth a shot.

"Sweetheart, I don't expect you to wear a ball gown every time you leave the house, but if you present yourself well, you feel more confident. I don't care about you impressing people. You should want to dress well for yourself."

"Well, this is how I feel like dressing today, so can you just drop it?" Cindy didn't wait for a reply. She walked out the front door, slamming it behind her. She took a deep breath before heading down her front steps. She saw Jimmy waiting for her in front of his house. He smiled when Cindy crossed the street.

"Nice glasses dork," Jimmy teased.

"Shut up. You woke me up not twenty minutes ago, remember?" Cindy playfully pushed him.

"Sorry, I was just so excited to tell you about what happened last night."

"Whatever. At least I'm getting free coffee out of this."

Jimmy and Cindy started walking in the direction of the coffee shop. It was early April, and the buds were starting to blossom on the trees. It was a brisk morning, and Cindy actually contemplated going for a run. She liked the crisp air.

"So, are you going to the dance with anyone?" Jimmy asked casually.

"Well, if you're asking if anybody has asked me, the answer is no, but if you're asking me if Libby will be dragging me to the dance, the answer is yes. And I'll end up being a third wheel to her and Sheen for, like, the hundredth time."

"You could go with Carl," Jimmy suggested.

"Are you kidding? Carl is a huge germ-a-phobe. A high school prom is hardly the place for him."

"That's true. Now that I think about it, he hasn't gone to any dances since we started high school. Hmm… I can't think of anyone who hasn't asked yet."

"Jimmy, it's not your job to find me a date. Don't worry about it. You need to focus your energy on winning Betty back." Cindy opened the door to the coffee shop and walked inside.

"I know it's not my job," Jimmy replied as he followed her to the order line. "But I hate that you have to be a third wheel."

"Welcome to The Grind. What can I get started for you?" the barista asked.

"Can I get a medium dark roast with room, and she'll have a medium soy vanilla latte," Jimmy ordered.

"You know my drink order?" Cindy asked.

"Of course," Jimmy smiled as he paid for their drinks.

Cindy smiled to herself, adding yet another item to the list of things she adored about Jimmy.

Cindy sat down at her favorite table as Jimmy picked up their drinks. "Do you want a dash of cinnamon like you usually do?" Jimmy asked.

Cindy smiled and nodded.

"Your boyfriend is so sweet!" one of the barista commented as she was cleaning a table nearby.

Cindy's face fell as she remembered why they were here in the first place. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Okay," Jimmy started as he walked over. "So last night was amazing. But it definitely didn't start out that way. On my way back from the florist—roses are expensive by the way—I was driving home when I saw that I needed to fill up my car. The only problem was that I had spent the last of my gas money on the flowers for Betty.

"So I drove home to get the hover car instead. As I was heading over to Betty's it started to rain, and you know how well the hover car does in the rain. I had to pull over and walk the rest of the way, only, I didn't have an umbrella, so I was soaking wet.

"Right when I reached Betty's house, I realized that I left the flowers in the hover car. It was already late, and I was soaked to the bone, so I thought what the hell, I'll just give her the flowers later."

Cindy sat and listened, nodding when appropriate and sipping on her latte to avoid saying anything she would regret.

Jimmy continued, "I knocked on the door, and I started shaking. I think part of it was because of the rain, but I was nervous too. Anyway, so she opened the door and when she saw me she said, 'are you insane?'

"So I told her what you told me to tell her: that I had given it some thought, and I was sorry for breaking her heart, and that I wanted to get back together."

"And what did she say?" Cindy finally responded.

"She said that she had been feeling the same things, but she needed some time to think about it. She said she would call me today."

"Wow, sounds like you'll have a date for the prom after all." Cindy gave Jimmy a fake smile.

"Well, I hope. But I don't think any dance will be as fun as the Winter Formal," Jimmy laughed.

Cindy laughed back, "Oh yeah! That was pretty fun. I'm really glad you came with me."

"Do you still have that picture of us?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Will you send it to me? I don't know what happened to the copy you already gave me."

Just then, Jimmy's phone started to buzz.

"It's her!" He stood up so he could talk in private. "Excuse me," Jimmy said as he walked out of the dining area.

Cindy pulled out her phone and opened up her photo gallery. She found the picture that Jimmy was referring to: it was a selfie Cindy had taken right as they were leaving for the dance.

She had asked Jimmy if he would go with her to the dance, since Libby and Sheen were going together, and Cindy really didn't want to be a third wheel again. Jimmy, being one of her best friends, had agreed.

After being tortured during formal pictures at Jimmy's house, Cindy mentioned that she wanted a casual photo of both of them together. They stopped on Jimmy's lawn to take the photo. Right before Cindy tapped the button to take the picture, Jimmy kissed her on the cheek.

The picture ended up great. Cindy had a huge surprised smile on her face, and Jimmy had timed it perfectly so that he was not only kissing Cindy's cheek, but smiling and winking all at the same time.

Cindy was so sure that she would tell Jimmy how she felt after that night, but of course things didn't turn out the way she had planned.

* * *

 **A/N: Originally this was going to be a one-shot, but as I continued to write, I thought it would be better in chapters, so I broke it up into smaller sections. Each chapter title will be a line from the song _How You Get the Girl_ by Taylor Swift, and will somehow (in my head) relate to the content of that chapter. This one is called _"_ That's How it Works."**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Remind Her How it Used to Be

**A/N: Welcome to the next installment of _How You Get the Girl._ There are things I really like in this chapter, and things that I don't really care for, but I felt were necessary in order to move the story along. This chapter is called "Remind Her How it Used to Be."**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jimmy came back into the coffee shop with a big grin on his face. "She wants to meet me at the park so that we can talk. Do you think that's a good thing?"

"Of course it is. If she didn't want to get back together with you, she would have just told you over the phone," Cindy suggested.

"You're probably right. Oh, crap! What should I even talk about?"

"Just reminder her how it used to be, you know, before you got too busy with your science stuff. Remember how head over heels you were for her when you first started dating? Tell her about that stuff, and how much you miss that part of your relationship."

"Thanks, Cindy. You're seriously the best. I hate to do this, but I have to go. Betty wants to meet in an hour, and I need to go home and change," Jimmy said as he looked at his hoodie and basketball shorts.

"No worries, I get it," Cindy replied.

"What would I do without you, Vortex?" Jimmy stood up to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yep, good luck," Cindy uttered quietly.

As soon as Jimmy left, Cindy started pounding her head on the table.

"That was super awkward." Cindy heard from behind her.

She turned around and saw Sheen standing there with two coffee cups. "What are you doing, Sheen?"

"Nothing, I was just picking up something for Libby before heading over to her house. The question is: what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Libby told me that you're helping him get back together with Betty. Why would you do that?"

"Because he's my friend and being with Betty will make him happy. He deserves to be happy," Cindy explained. She had been telling herself that for a long time, it was starting to feel less real.

"Don't you deserve to be happy too?" Sheen inquired.

"Whatever."

"Let me tell you a little bit about Jimmy," Sheen began.

"I think I know him pretty well." Cindy rolled her eyes.

"Just, hear me out. Jimmy is clueless. He's not gonna pick up on your subtlety. You need to tell him how you feel, straight up."

"And why the hell would I do that?"

"You might be surprised by the answer that you get."

"When did you get all philosophical?"

"Ritalin is one hell of a drug," Sheen laughed.

Cindy smiled, "Thanks for the advice, Sheen, but I think I'll stick to my plan of bottling up my feelings. It's doing wonders."

"Your sarcasm has been noted, and will be relayed to Libby shortly. Enjoy your Sunday," Sheen said as he walked out of the coffee shop.

Cindy finished her latte and started to leave. She decided to go for a run after all. She definitely needed to blow off some steam.

* * *

Jimmy sat waiting nervously in the park. He had the flowers from the night before on his lap. He kept looking at his watch wondering, where Betty was. He began to panic, thinking that he was in the wrong place, or that she had changed her mind.

Just when he was about to text her to see where she was, Betty walked over, smiling. She gave a small wave when she saw Jimmy looking at her.

Jimmy stood up and wiped his palms on his pants. He had changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt he knew Betty liked.

"Hey, Jimmy," Betty said as she approached him.

"Hi, Betty," Jimmy stammered as he handed her the flowers.

"Wow, thanks! I love pink roses." Betty leaned in and gave Jimmy a kiss on the cheek. "I thought about what you said, and if you are being absolutely honest, then I would love to try dating again. You have to promise me though that you are going to commit. Don't blow me off for some invention."

"Of course not," Jimmy said smiling. "I know that I have to prove to you that I want to be with you, and I'll do whatever it takes, I promise."

"Perfect!" Betty smiled.

"So since, we're going to try again, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me," Jimmy asked quietly.

"Listen, I'm glad we're getting back together, but we're going to need to work up to that. Let's try this for a couple weeks, and if things are going well, then I'll go to prom with you," Betty offered.

Jimmy just nodded. He was disappointed, but not surprised by her response. When they broke up, Betty had given him an ultimatum: her, or his inventions. At the time he was on the verge of a scientific breakthrough, and wanted to finish it, so he had chosen his work. Betty was heartbroken. It would take some time for her to trust him again.

Jimmy and Betty spent the afternoon in the park. They reminisced about when they first started dating. Jimmy remembered how love struck he had been. He could hardly sleep, or think about anything else besides Betty. But after a few weeks, the lust began to dissolve. Jimmy knew it was typical for the initial "honeymoon" period to wear off, but he almost didn't care. He started working more in his lab, and spent less time with Betty, until finally they broke up.

Jimmy hadn't wondered why he seemed to stop caring about his relationship with Betty. He had been so head-over-heels for her since elementary school that he was in shock for the first week of their relationship. He figured that after the initial shock, he must have just settled into the relationship. He thought that was what was supposed to happen. Jimmy had never been in love, so he had nothing to compare it to. After he and Betty broke up, at first it seemed fine, but after about a month, he had finished his project, and he realized that had made a mistake. Jimmy had felt ready to focus on a relationship, but it had been too late. That was when he had gone to Cindy for help.

"Jimmy, I'm so excited that you wanted to go out again. After I thought about it some more, I realized that I probably wasn't being that great of a girlfriend," Betty confessed.

"What are you talking about? It was my fault. I was so focused on my lab work that I was being a terrible boyfriend."

"Well, I should have realized that dating you would come with the entire genius package."

"I really am sorry for what happened. But that's in the past, and now we can learn and grow from that experience," Jimmy stated.

"That's right! Well, anyway. I promise to give you your space when you need it, as long as you promise to be there for me when I need you."

"Of course, Betty. I'm not going to ruin it this time. I promise." Jimmy smiled.

Betty smiled back and said, "Great! Listen, I've got to get going, but meet me before school tomorrow. I'll need your moral support when I tell my friends we're dating again."

"Will do, Betty."

Betty leaned forward and kissed Jimmy before smiling and walking away. She gave him a small wave as she left.

Jimmy furrowed his brow. When she kissed him, he didn't feel that spark like he used to.

* * *

Cindy stopped to take a break from her run. She was still angry. She was angry at Libby for telling Sheen what was going on, she was angry at Sheen for his unwanted advice, but mostly she was angry at herself for getting into this situation in the first place.

She looked up and saw that she was in front of her karate studio. Normally, it was closed on Sundays, but she saw her instructor inside. Cindy waved to him and he came over and unlocked the door.

"Good morning, Cindy. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Good morning, Master Ishida. I was just blowing off some steam, but it's not working. Why are you here? It's Sunday."

"I'm practicing for my meet in Japan next month. Don't tell me you forgot!"

"That's right! Well, don't let me bother you. I'll see you on Tuesday."

"Actually, if you still need to blow off steam, I could use a sparring partner. We all know how you get when you're upset about something," Master Ishida smiled.

Cindy laughed as she followed her teacher inside.

"You were on fire, Cindy. Geez, what are you so mad about?" Master Ishida commented after they had completed their sparring.

Cindy sighed. "It's just stupid high school stuff. Prom is in a few weeks, and my stupid neighbor asked me to help him get back together with his old girlfriend." Cindy had always trusted Master Ishida. He was a young master, still in college, and he was always willing to lend an ear. He was like the big brother Cindy never had.

"And you don't like this girl?" Master Ishida guessed.

"No, there's nothing really wrong with her, I just don't think Jimmy and her work together that well."

Master Ishida smiled to himself. "Oh, it's Jimmy. Now I get it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Cindy, pretty much any time you've been this upset about something, it has to do with Jimmy. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on."

"You'd be surprised," Cindy muttered.

Master Ishida laughed, realizing the irony in his comment. "Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that you should tell him how you feel. I get it: you don't want to ruin your friendship. But is helping him get the wrong girl really what you want to be doing?"

"No, but I can't back out of it now. That would ruin our friendship too. I'm just going to have to ride this one out."

"Can I make a suggestion?" Master Ishida offered. "Why don't you try spending time with him doing things that he likes? Rini and I were friends for years before we started dating. She started coming with me to my meets, and showed a genuine interest in the things I liked. Obviously it worked."

"When do you get to see Rini?" Cindy asked, knowing it had been awhile since her teacher had seen his long-distance girlfriend.

"Twenty-five days," Master Ishida smiled softly. "I can't believe it's been six months. Did I tell you that she's moving here? She got accepted to my school."

"That's awesome! Maybe I'll give your idea a try. I know that there's a science lecture at the museum next weekend. I guess it wouldn't hurt to see if he wants to go. Ugh, am I being shady if I try to steal him away from his 'budding romance?'" Cindy asked.

"I don't think that's what you're doing. You're just helping him realize what he's had all along." Master Ishida stood up and helped Cindy to her feet. "Besides, this strategy takes time. I can't guarantee that he won't go to prom with this girl, but if you keep on him, he'll start to see that you are definitely the one he should be with."

"Thanks, Master Ishida." Cindy bowed. "I appreciate you letting me blow off some steam and letting me vent. I don't know what I would do without you."

Master Ishida nodded and let Cindy out of the studio. Cindy made her way back home in a much better mood.

* * *

When Jimmy got home from the park, he texted Sheen and Carl to come over. He needed some guys' advice about getting back together with Betty. Carl had never dated anybody, but he still had a good point of view to share, and Sheen was, surprisingly, really good at all that romance stuff.

"Can I just say that I think it's a bit crazy that you wanted to get back together with Betty? I mean, you broke up for a reason right?" Carl asked.

"Why is it crazy? We broke up because I wasn't ready to commit to the relationship. Betty didn't do anything wrong," Jimmy tried to reason.

"Dude, you're seeing things from an insider's perspective. Of course you don't think she did anything wrong. But don't you remember that she gave you an ultimatum? What kind of girl makes a guy choose between her and his passion?" Sheen asked.

"So you're telling me that Libby is totally fine with you geek-ing out about Ultra Lord?"

"Jimmy, please. Superheroes are the in thing right now. Besides, I make time for both. Libby and I do plenty of stuff together, but we both also know that it's okay to do things on our own. She doesn't make me go shopping with her, and I don't make her watch Ultra Lord with me. We understand that we both need to be individuals in our relationship."

"Unbelievable. Who would have thought that Sheen Estevez would be the relationship guru?" Carl stated in awe.

"Anyway," Jimmy said. "I think that I need to prove to Betty that I'm willing to commit, so I think I should give up the science stuff, at least for a while."

"Jimmy, that's a bad idea. You'll end up resenting Betty if you do that," Carl replied.

"He's right, dude. You said that she promised to give you your space when you needed it. A relationship is a two-way street. She needs to hold up her end of the compromise just like you have to hold up your end. If you need some time to yourself, you need to tell her that. You have to communicate with her," Sheen explained.

"Okay, you are seriously freaking me out, Sheen. What happened to the hyper-active, short attention-spanned kid that we grew up with?" Carl asked in a serious tone.

"Seriously, Sheen. It is a bit freaky," Jimmy added.

"Why are we talking about me? You wanted us over here for a reason." Sheen drew the conversation away from him. "So, did you kiss her?"

Jimmy smiled. "Yeah, but it was weird. After she kissed me, I didn't really feel anything."

"What do you mean?" Carl tilted his head in curiosity.

"I don't know. Like, back when we were first dating, there was a spark between us. It's hard to explain. When we kissed, I would feel like a rush of energy through my body, but earlier today, it was like, nothing. I didn't feel anything," Jimmy explained.

"Well, you're not in a new relationship. This is an old one. Maybe you're just picking back up from where you left off," Carl tried to reason.

"No, I don't think so." Sheen shook his head. "Jimmy, do you really want to be with Betty?"

"Yeah. Yes. Sure."

"'Sure'?" Sheen repeated skeptically. "If you really wanted to be in a relationship with her your answer should be 'Yes, without a doubt. I want to date Betty Quinlan.' What's holding you back? Is it Cindy?"

"Cindy? What about her?" Jimmy gave Sheen a quizzical look.

"Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding me. Everybody, and I do mean everybody, knows that you have a thing for Cindy," Sheen said.

"I do not!" Jimmy crossed his arms in a huff. "She's my best friend. Besides, she's the one who helped me get Betty back."

"Right, and why did you go to her for help? Could it possibly be to spend more time with her?" Sheen gave an exaggerated gasp. "Shocking."

"You're an ass."

Jimmy's phone notified him of a new text message. _I forgot to send this to you. Sorry. (1 attachment)_ Jimmy downloaded the image and smiled. Cindy had sent him the picture from Winter Formal.

"What are you smiling about?" Carl asked.

Sheen grabbed the phone from Jimmy's hand.

"Hey! That's my property, give it back!" Jimmy tried to reach for the phone, but even though he had grown a lot over the years, Sheen was still much taller than him.

Sheen stood on Jimmy's bed with the phone held above his head. "Well this picture is freaking adorable. When was this?"

"Give me my phone, Sheen."

"Answer the question, Jimmy."

"It was from Winter Formal."

"And you're going to sit here trying to convince me that you don't like Cindy, and then she sends you a picture of you giving her a kiss? Nice try."

"We were just goofing around. My parents had tortured us for like twenty minutes taking pictures, so she wanted to take a funny one."

Sheen tossed the phone back to Jimmy before sitting back down on the bed. "Jimmy, admit it: you like Cindy. It's okay. You can like two people at the same time. Just be careful."

"So what if I do like Cindy? It's not like she likes me back. I mean maybe at one time when we were kids we liked each other, but now…" Jimmy faded out.

Sheen and Carl eyed each other, wondering if they should tell Jimmy the truth.

"Here's a hypothetical for you. Maybe it will help you make a decision. What if Cindy did like you back? What would you do?" Carl inquired.

"Well, if she did like me, then why would she help me get back together with my previously ex-girlfriend?"

"Because she wants you to be happy!" Sheen blurted before slapping his hands over his mouth.

Carl gave Sheen an are-you-kidding-me face. "Hypothetically," Carl added to Sheen's comment.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Okay, well, hypothetically, why would she not tell me that she likes me?"

"For the same reason that you don't tell her: you don't want to ruin your friendship. You guys worked really hard to overcome your childhood rivalry. Honestly, we're all surprised that you guys are such close friends. You hardly ever bicker anymore, and you actually help each other with schoolwork instead of competing against one another. It's been a huge stress off of all of us," Carl replied.

Jimmy sat in silence for several moments. Were his friends right? Had he pushed his feelings for Cindy so far down that he actually forgot that he really did like Cindy? It made sense. He had worked so hard to build up a friendship with Cindy that he didn't want to ruin it by sharing his feelings. It didn't matter anyway. She didn't like him that way, and he was with Betty.

"This is stupid. Cindy doesn't like me like that, and I'm with Betty, so it doesn't matter."

Sheen's eye twitched slightly before he replied. "You know what? You're probably right. But don't think we're just going to let that 'Cindy's my best friend' comment slide. You owe us. Candy Bar. Right now."

Jimmy sighed as he got up off his bed. "All right, but don't go overboard. I don't have a lot of extra cash right now, and I still have to buy prom tickets. Well, hopefully."

"You should have thought of that before you decided that Cindy ranked higher on your friends list than we do," Carl teased as he followed his friends down to the hover car.

* * *

 **A/N: I really liked writing Master Ishida. There aren't a lot of fics that I've read that talk about Cindy's martial arts, and I wanted it to still be an important part of her life.**

 **If you've read _Party at a Rich Dude's House,_ you might have noticed that I wrote Sheen a little more mature. I feel like I've done that here as well. I don't know why, it just feels natural that he would kind of reign in the crazy a bit.**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.**


	3. You Left Her All Alone

**A/N: Hi again. I think this is the fastest I've ever posted something. It helps that I already have this thing written. Anyway, this chapter is called "You Left Her All Alone."**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Monday morning came and Cindy had almost forgotten about the events that had transpired over the weekend. It wasn't until Jimmy came up to her as she was opening her locker that she was reminded of everything.

"Good morning," Jimmy said cheerfully. He handed Cindy a paper coffee cup. "Boy, do I have some stuff to tell you."

Cindy took the cup from his hand and scowled. "You didn't have to get me a coffee."

"I know, but I really owe you one. Your advice was great: Betty said she wanted to try dating again."

Cindy feigned happiness. "That's great. So you're taking her to the dance?"

"Well," Jimmy started. "It's a bit more complicated than that. Obviously there's some trust stuff we've got to work through. She said she's willing to give it a couple of weeks, and if she can see that I'm committed, then she said she'd go to the dance with me."

Cindy took a sip of her coffee instead of saying what she really thought of what Jimmy had just said.

"Anyway, I've got to get going. I promised Betty I'd meet up with her before class." Jimmy held up the other coffee in his hand.

Cindy stopped drinking mid-sip, realizing the only reason Jimmy got her something was because he stopped to get Betty something. She felt betrayed, like she didn't matter. She almost wished he hadn't gotten her anything.

Jimmy furrowed his brow. "Well, I'll see you later," he said, since Cindy had yet to respond to anything he had said. He walked away in confusion.

Cindy slammed her locker shut and walked over to the nearest garbage can and threw the full cup of coffee away, cursing herself when some of the hot liquid splashed out and burnt her hand.

"Why would you throw away a full cup of coffee?" Libby walked over. "That's such a waste."

"Jimmy got it for me," Cindy replied wiping her hand on her pants.

"And…?"

"And the only reason he got it for me was because he had to pick something up for Betty. I'm not some afterthought."

"Cindy, I know you're having a rough time dealing with this, but remember: you got yourself into this one. You need to stop being so petty."

"That's easier said than done. Besides, what was I supposed to say to him when he came begging for my help? If I said no, then he'd be all butt-hurt about it. Then he'd start pestering me as to why I wouldn't help him. And what would I say then? 'I've had a crush on you since the fifth grade'? Because that doesn't make me sound totally insane and petty. Besides that, it would completely ruin our friendship. It's better if I just suffer through this." Cindy stormed off toward her first class. She knew she was in for a long day.

At lunch, Cindy sat down at her usual table, hoping that Libby wasn't still mad at her for yelling early. Libby and Sheen made their way over laughing at something. Cindy looked up and gave Libby an apologetic look. Libby smiled in response as she sat down.

"Hey, Cindy. How's it going?" Sheen asked. He was oblivious to what had happened between the two friends.

"Don't ask," Cindy responded hotly.

"Geez, sorry."

Cindy's phone buzzed. She had a text message from Master Ishida. _Have you invited Jimmy to the museum with you yet? P.S. I need a sparring partner again tonight if you're interested._

Cindy had forgotten about her conversation with her karate instructor. Her mood suddenly changed as she replied: _No, but I was going to today. I'm just waiting for him to show up to lunch. Also, I'd be happy to kick your butt again tonight! :)_ Cindy smiled as she hit send.

"Wow, mood swings much?" Sheen commented.

Cindy rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Jimmy walked over with Betty. They were talking quietly. "Hey, guys. Do you care if Betty sits with us today?"

"Of course not!" Libby replied for everyone. "Hi, Betty. It's nice to see you again."

"Hey, everyone. I'm glad that you all don't hate me." Betty gave a shy smile.

 _No, of course not. No one could hate the prettiest, nicest, most charming girl in the school._ Cindy thought to herself. She had to check herself to make sure she wasn't scowling. She started picking at her sandwich.

Jimmy sat down next to Cindy and gave her a smile. Betty sat down next to Jimmy and slid her hand into his. Cindy's window of opportunity to talk to Jimmy had closed. There was no way she would be able to basically ask him out with his girlfriend sitting right next to him.

"You okay, Cindy?" Libby asked tentatively.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Cindy asked.

Libby tapped her own forehead, indicating that Cindy had her brow furrowed in a scowl. Cindy huffed, rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'll see you guys later." She walked out of the cafeteria and threw her lunch in the trash. She had lost her appetite.

"Cindy, wait!" Cindy heard as she reached her locker. She turned around and saw Jimmy following her.

"What do you want, Neutron?" she glowered.

"Geez, someone's in a mood. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just not in the mood to socialize today."

"Is this because I ditched you at the coffee shop?" Jimmy took a guess.

"Sure, let's go with that."

"I'm really sorry. Can I make it up to you?" Jimmy asked.

This was Cindy's chance. "Sure, I was wondering if you wanted to go to this lecture at the Natural History Museum. It's about viruses."

Jimmy was taken off guard. "Oh, um, I guess. I mean it's not like a date right?"

"You're such an idiot. Of course it's not a date. I just thought you would be interested in it. I know you've been trying to perfect your Love Potion vaccine so you don't have any more accidents, and I thought it might be useful. Besides, I need some extra credit in biology, and Mrs. Cardy said that this would count."

Jimmy smiled. He had no idea that Cindy had been keeping tabs on his lab work. "Yeah, it does sound interesting. I could use some extra credit too. What day is it?"

"It's on Saturday at two o'clock." Cindy couldn't believe that had worked.

"Great! Saturday at two. Thanks for the invite. Are you going to come back to the cafeteria now?"

"I'm not hungry. I'll just see you in English." Cindy wandered away without saying goodbye.

As soon as she rounded the corner, Cindy pulled out her phone to text Master Ishida. _It totally worked! He said he wanted to go to the museum with me. Thanks for the advice._

Master Ishida replied almost immediately: _Great! I can't way to hear the details. I'll see you tonight. This time I won't go easy on you! :)_

* * *

The week was pretty intolerable for Cindy. Jimmy and Betty were practically attached at the hip. They were always holding hands and whispering and giggling with each other. It bothered Cindy because that wasn't who Jimmy was. She knew that he was trying to fix things with Betty, but Cindy thought that Jimmy was acting like an idiot.

Cindy wanted to avoid the "happy couple" with a ten-foot pole, but she didn't need Jimmy questioning her about why she wouldn't hang out with him. Cindy decided her best option was to smile and do her best to not say anything she would regret.

On Saturday morning, Cindy got up extra early so she could get her chores done and get ready for the science lecture with Jimmy. Cindy hadn't had a private moment with Jimmy all week, and she was looking forward to having some time with him to talk science; something they both loved to discuss.

Cindy put the finishing touches on her make-up and slipped on her favorite pair of shoes. She looked at her watch. It was 1:20. She wanted to make sure they got to the museum early so they could get good seats.

Cindy hollered to her mom that she was leaving as she walked out the front door to get Jimmy. She walked across the street and knocked on his front door.

"Hi, Cindy. My, you look nice. What can I do for you?" Mrs. Neutron answered the door.

Cindy furrowed her brow in confusion. Maybe Jimmy hadn't told his mom what he was doing. "I'm looking for Jimmy. Is he home?"

"Hmm… I know he was up early this morning. Maybe try the lab? That boy never tells me what he's up to. It's going to get him into trouble one day," Mrs. Neutron scolded an imaginary Jimmy.

Cindy laughed. "Thanks, Mrs. Neutron. I'll try the lab."

Cindy wandered across the yard to the old clubhouse. She knocked on the door and waited for Jimmy to answer over the intercom, but it never came. Cindy looked at her watch again. It was now 1:30. She pulled out her phone to text Jimmy to just meet her at the museum.

Cindy walked back home and begged her dad to let her borrow the car. After arguing for several minutes, and Cindy promising to pay for the gas, he obliged. Cindy quickly drove into town, parked the car, and waited outside the museum. It was now 1:47.

Cindy tapped her foot impatiently. The scowl on her face was growing deeper by the minute. It was unlike Jimmy to be late. Especially to something science related. On top of that, he knew how much it ticked Cindy off when people were late.

At 1:55 Cindy pulled her phone out to call Jimmy and give him a piece of her mind.

Just as she was putting her phone up to her ear, she saw Jimmy walking on the other side of the street with Betty. They were holding hands and laughing about something.

Cindy lowered her phone and disconnected the call. Jimmy had forgotten. Cindy could feel tears starting to form in her eyes. She blinked them back and walked back toward the parking garage.

* * *

When Jimmy woke up early Saturday morning, he smiled. Things had been going great with Betty. He was slowly starting to feel something when he was with her. He was glad. He would have felt horrible if he had made a big show of getting back together with her and he didn't actually feel anything. The feelings were not as strong as when they had first started dating, but Jimmy knew that was okay because he already knew what it was like to be with her.

Jimmy got out of bed and got dressed quickly. He wanted to get some lab work done before he had brunch with Betty. He was almost positive that Betty was going to tell him that she wanted to go to the dance with him.

At 9:30, Jimmy drove over to Betty's house to pick her up for brunch. He knocked on her door and waited.

When the door finally opened, Betty quickly exited and closed the door behind her. "Hey, Jimmy. Come on, let's go." She grabbed his hand and led him down to his car.

"What was that all about?" Jimmy asked.

"My dad isn't too happy that I'm going out with you again."

"Oh."

"Don't worry! My parents like you, it's just the same thing that I told you: there's some trust stuff. They'll get there. Give it time." Betty gave Jimmy a quick kiss.

"Okay." Jimmy was skeptical, but got into the car and headed into town.

The couple had barely opened their menus when Betty said, "So, I was thinking. The dance is in two weeks exactly. At first I thought that a week to find a dress was going to work, but the more I think about it, it makes me nervous. Things have been going really well this week, so I thought, 'hey, why not?' So to answer your question from last Sunday, yes, I will go to prom with you!"

"Really?" Jimmy was elated.

"Yes, of course! Also, I was hoping that maybe you could help me look for some dresses today? I know it's a little unconventional to go dress shopping with your date, but my friends have already gone dress shopping and they don't really want to go again."

Jimmy was reminded of what Sheen had said about how Libby doesn't make him go shopping with her. This scenario was different though. Jimmy was still trying to earn some trust.

"Of course I will, Betty. I would be honored." Jimmy replied.

Betty smiled. "Yay! Thank you so much, Jimmy. It really means a lot to me."

After brunch, Jimmy and Betty headed to the mall. Jimmy tried to have a good attitude, but he detested clothes shopping. He sat in the "boyfriend chair" in every store as Betty tried on several dresses each varying shades of pink. After what felt like years, Betty finally had a dress that she was satisfied with.

"That was easier than I could have hoped for!" Betty commented. "Now, time for shoes."

"Great," Jimmy said through gritted teeth.

"I'm just teasing! You've suffered enough. How about we go to the Candy Bar for some milkshakes? My treat," Betty offered.

"That sounds like a great idea."

"Let's drop this stuff off at your car. It's such a nice day outside, I think we should walk."

"Another great idea!" Jimmy smiled. He grabbed Betty's free hand and slid his fingers in between hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks for being such a good sport." Betty reached up and gave Jimmy a light kiss before continuing to the parking garage.

Jimmy and Betty were enjoying their milkshakes and some fries at the Candy Bar, when Betty excused herself to use the restroom.

Jimmy pulled his phone out for the first time that day. He had felt his phone vibrate a few times earlier, but he didn't want to be rude to Betty. He had a missed call from Cindy, and a few text messages from different people. Cindy hadn't left a voicemail, so it probably wasn't important.

Jimmy scrolled through his texts. One was from Sheen, asking where he was. Another was from Carl asking for help on a math assignment. The last one was from Cindy: _Not sure where you are, but I guess just meet me at the museum._

 _Museum?_ Jimmy thought. _What is she talking about?_ All of a sudden, Jimmy remembered that he had made plans with Cindy for the afternoon. He looked at his watch. It was 2:45. The virus lecture was almost over.

Jimmy didn't even have a chance to call Cindy to apologize because Betty came walking back.

"What's wrong? You look panicked," Betty asked.

"I kind of forgot something I was supposed to do this afternoon."

"Uh oh. Was it important?"

"Not exactly." He felt horrible for saying that, but it was true. "I was supposed to go to a science lecture with Cindy for some extra credit for Mrs. Cardy's class."

"Oh no, is Cindy super upset?"

"I don't know, I haven't had a chance to call her, but if I know Cindy, then I'm sure she's pissed."

"Well, I've definitely hogged your company today. Why don't we head back? I need to take my dress to the tailor anyway. And you need to apologize to Cindy."

"You're so right. I just hope she doesn't kill me, otherwise you'd have spent your money on that dress for nothing," Jimmy joked.

Betty laughed as they walked out of the Candy Bar hand-in-hand.

* * *

 **A/N: Man, Cindy is really getting put through the wringer. We'll find out what happened after she left the museum in the next chapter.**

 **Does anyone else think it's weird to go dress shopping with your prom date? Because that seemed weird to me, but I needed an excuse for Jimmy to be unavailable for the virus lecture. Also, who goes to a science lecture for fun? (Me. Probably.)**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.**


	4. That's How You Lost the Girl

**A/N: New chapter. Yay! This one is called "That's How You Lost the Girl."**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Aaugh!" Cindy wailed her fist into the punching bag one final time before the tears started streaming down her face and she dropped to the floor.

After she left the museum, Cindy headed straight for her karate studio. Master Ishida was there teaching the white belts, so Cindy made her way to the locker room to change into her gi and headed into the warm-up room. She had been wailing on the punching bag for quite some time.

Cindy pushed her now disheveled hair out of her face, and wiped her nose with her bare hand. She growled at her own stupidity. She hated ugly-crying. She stood up to go wash her hands, when Master Ishida walked in.

"Okay, what's going on? You looked like you were about ready to rip someone's head off—" Master Ishida stopped himself when he saw Cindy's face. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Cindy shoved her way passed her teacher and walked into the women's locker room.

"Cindy," Master Ishida called after her. "You can't seriously be mad at me for finishing my class. You came here for a reason. I'm done teaching for the day, what's wrong?"

Cindy opened the locker room door. "Your stupid idea went horribly, horribly wrong!"

"Just tell me what happened."

"I waited outside the museum, like an idiot, and five minutes before the lecture was supposed to start, I see him walking down the street with Betty. He didn't come!"

Master Ishida took a deep breath. "Okay. I apologize for my advice. And you can hate me all you want, but I hope you didn't expect him to just fall for you. I told you: this is a long process. He is going to have to realize it on his own, in his own time. Guys are kind of stupid, trust me." Master Ishida smiled, trying to cheer Cindy up.

Cindy just huffed.

"Have you talked to Libby?"

"I texted her, but she hasn't responded."

"Give me your phone. I'm calling her to come pick you up."

"But I drove here," Cindy argued.

"And by the way your acting, I'm surprised you got here alive. Give me your phone."

Cindy huffed again and handed her phone to Master Ishida.

"Hi, Libby. It's Hiro Ishida, Cindy's karate instructor. Can you come by the studio? Cindy needs a friend… Thanks, see you in a bit."

Several minutes later, Libby walked into the karate studio. "Hi, Hiro. Where's Cindy?"

"She's in the locker room. She's mad at me."

"Uh-oh. Why?"

"Did she tell you about the whole science lecture thing?"

"Yeah, she told me about it. She was pretty excited about it. I saw her texts when you called me. Jimmy stood her up or something?"

"I don't know all the details, but I was the one who gave her that advice, so naturally, it's my fault that he didn't show up," Hiro joked.

"Dang. For the record, I thought it was great advice," Libby shared.

Hiro smiled and led Libby to the locker room.

"Cindy! Open up!" Libby pounded on the door.

"Go away! I don't want to talk about it."

"Girl, I will call Jimmy right now and tell him how you really feel if don't open this door," Libby threatened.

The threat was answered with silence.

"You think I won't? Fine. Let's see what should I say? 'Jimmy, I know you're with Betty, but I just thought you should know that Cindy's had a crush on you since the fifth grade. She is constantly looking at that adorable picture of you two before the Winter Formal, and she gets all giddy and girly when she talks about you. My favorite is when she reminisces about when you two were stranded on that island. Did you know she still has that pearl you gave her?'"

"All right! Geez!" Cindy hollered as she unlocked the door.

Libby squeezed through the small opening that Cindy offered. Cindy quickly locked the door behind Libby.

"I seriously doubt Hiro is going to try and get in here." Libby rolled her eyes. "Speaking of, you need to apologize to him. Whatever happened with that idiot Jimmy is not Hiro's fault. That advice he gave you was good. But you forget that Jimmy is a big moron."

"I don't need you to blame Jimmy. Can you just let me cry?" Cindy sniffed as tears started streaming down her face again.

Libby's face fell. "Oh my god. This is really serious! I've never seen you like this before." Libby pulled her best friend into a hug.

Cindy tried to speak through her whimpers. "I just thought that I would finally get my chance to tell him how I feel. But when I saw him walking down the street with her, I felt like my heart was ripped out, which is stupid for so many reasons."

"I know I joke about it all the time, but how do you feel about Jimmy? I don't think we've ever really talked about it."

Cindy sighed and composed herself as best she could. "I don't know. I mean, you knew I liked him back in the fifth grade. Hell, I know for a fact that he liked me too. But we were kids, and childhood crushes are so dumb—"

"Excuse me?" Libby interrupted. "What about Sheen?"

Cindy rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant and you know it. Do you want me to tell you how I feel or not?"

"Fine, continue." Libby smiled knowingly.

"Anyway," Cindy exaggerated. "The summer before middle school Jimmy and I had a conversation. We agreed to stop the constant arguing and competitive behavior. We both figured it would make our lives a lot less stressful."

"Not just yours. Try everyone who knows you," Libby commented.

Cindy rolled her eyes and continued. "So we decided to try actually being friends. My feelings never really went away. In fact the more I learned about him, the more I liked him. And here we are. You found me crying in the bathroom over some guy who couldn't be bothered to show up for an extra credit assignment."

"You don't know the whole story, Cindy."

"I know that he was with Betty. What more explanation do I need?"

"He probably forgot. That boy is pretty clueless," Libby reasoned.

"Whatever," Cindy huffed.

"You didn't actually answer my question: how do you feel about Jimmy?"

"Were you not listening? I like him. A lot. I've liked him as long as I've known him. Is that what you want me to say?" Cindy was getting frustrated.

Libby smirked before replying. "No, that's not what I want you to say."

"I don't know what you're getting at." Cindy was genuinely confused.

"Will you just admit that you love him so we can move on with this conversation?" Libby replied with annoyance.

"Love? I don't love him," Cindy stated.

"Of course you do. Look at yourself! If you didn't love him, you wouldn't be locking yourself in a locker room, crying about how you feel like your heart has been ripped out. And I know for a fact that you still have that pearl he gave you back in the fifth grade. Tell me that's not love," Libby explained.

Cindy took a minute to think about what Libby said. In the grand scheme of things, it made sense, but Cindy didn't know what love was. What was it supposed to feel like? How did someone know if they were in love? What happens when you love someone who doesn't love you back?

"How do you know?" Cindy asked.

Libby laughed. "That you're in love with Jimmy? Easy. To start, you genuinely care about his happiness, even if it hinders your own happiness. Your eyes light up every time you see him. And do I need to bring up the pearl again?"

"No, how do you know when you're in love? Like, when did you know that you were in love with Sheen?" Cindy asked. She was genuinely curious.

Libby shrugged. "I don't really know. I just know that he makes me a better person, and I honestly care about him."

Cindy pondered that for a moment. Suddenly, her phone rang. "It's Jimmy," she stated to Libby.

"Are you going to answer it? He probably wants to apologize."

Cindy stared at her still ringing phone. Libby sighed and answered it herself. "Cindy's phone Libby speaking."

"Libby? You're with Cindy? Thank god! I've been trying to get ahold of her. Can I talk to her please?" Jimmy had relief in his voice.

"I don't know. She's pretty upset. I'm assuming that's why you're calling?"

"Yes! I need to apologize to her. I completely forgot about the science lecture."

"I know she wants to hear you out. Hang on." Libby put the phone on mute. "Cindy just talk to him. He wants to apologize."

Cindy huffed and snatched the phone out of Libby's hand. She unmuted the phone and spoke harshly into the phone, "What?"

"Cindy, I'm so sorry! I—"

"Save it, Jimmy."

"Cindy, please don't hang up!"

"I have nothing else to say to you!"

"I'm really sorry. Let me make it up to you."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. It was just some stupid lecture."

"It's not stupid. I really wanted to go with you. I'm sorry I forgot. Betty—"

"Look, I get it. You're trying to rekindle your relationship with Betty, but is she worth losing your friends?" Cindy didn't wait for a reply. She hung up the phone before she started crying again.

"Well that didn't go the way I thought it would," Libby said. "I thought you were going to forgive him."

"Why should I? It's not going to change anything. At least if I'm angry with him I don't have to pretend."

Libby rolled her eyes. "Whatever. If you want to be miserable, then that's your choice. Come on. Let's get you home."

"I'm fine. I've calmed down, and I still need to change my clothes. You can go. Thanks for sitting with me, Libby."

"Any time. And listen: Jimmy doesn't know what he's missing out on. You're a catch, and he'll figure it out…eventually."

* * *

A few days went by and Cindy refused to talk to Jimmy. She worried that if she tried to talk to him she would either start crying or tell him what she really thought about his relationship with Betty.

Jimmy knew that something was wrong, but because Cindy wouldn't talk to him he didn't know what to do. He finally went to Libby for some advice.

"Libby, you have to help me. I don't know what to do. Cindy is still mad at me. She won't talk to me. Tell me what to do," Jimmy begged.

"I don't know what to tell you, Jimmy. You upset her. A lot."

"Yeah, and I don't get it. I understand why she was mad at me, but this seems excessive for just missing an extra credit lecture."

Libby held her tongue. She couldn't explain Cindy's anger to Jimmy, not without giving away her friends secret. "You know Cindy. The smallest things can upset her."

"Yeah. I. Know. That's why I need your help. How do I fix this?" Jimmy asked harshly.

Libby sighed in frustration. Then she came up with an idea. "Sunflowers."

"What?"

"Get her sunflowers. And a soy vanill—"

"Vanilla latte with a dash of cinnamon. Yeah I know," Jimmy finished.

Libby gave him a strange look.

"What?"

"You know her coffee?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Nothing." Libby smiled.

"Okay, so sunflowers and coffee. Anything else?"

"You should invite her somewhere."

Jimmy furrowed his brow. "Libby, this sounds like a date. You know I'm dating Betty, right?"

"It's not a date," Libby reassured Jimmy. "You know she's mad at you because you haven't really been hanging around lately, right? It's no different than the science lecture you guys were going to go to."

"I don't know…"

"Do you want her to forgive you or not?"

"Fine! Of course I do."

"Then trust me. She'll forgive you in a snap."

* * *

"Can I talk to you?" Jimmy asked as he held out the coffee cup to Cindy. It was Friday after school. Betty was out of town for the weekend, so Jimmy finally had some time to talk with Cindy in private.

Cindy turned around, frowning. "I guess you have the right to."

"I'm really sorry about Saturday. I'm not going to give you some excuse. I just want to apologize and make it up to you." Jimmy pressed the cup closer to Cindy, urging her to take it. "Please, Cindy. You're my best friend, and I hate it when you're mad at me."

Cindy pursed her lips, trying to hide her smile to no avail. She took the coffee from Jimmy and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Neutron. You're on thin ice though."

Jimmy sighed in relief. "Thank god."

"What do you have behind your back?" Cindy asked pointing at Jimmy's arm that was tucked behind him.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Jimmy pulled the single sunflower out from behind his back and gave it to Cindy. "It's just another peace offering."

Cindy tensed. She didn't know how to react. She thought that Jimmy didn't know what her favorite flower was.

"Are you okay?" Jimmy looked concerned. He was still holding the flower, wondering what was wrong.

"I just—I didn't know that you knew I liked sunflowers." Cindy took the flower from him.

Jimmy shrugged, not wanting to tell her that Libby was the one who had helped him.

"Thank you."

"I just want to show you how sorry I am. I can't believe I forgot. I was really looking forward to that lecture."

"Yeah, well I guess we'll just have to get some extra credit another way."

"I was wondering if you wanted to watch the meteor shower with me tomorrow night. The Lyrid Shower is supposed to be really spectacular."

"Wow, um…" Cindy stammered.

"I know we won't get biology extra credit, but I just feel bad that we didn't get to go to the museum. We haven't really hung out in a while."

"Well, you've been kind of busy. Why don't you ask Betty to go with you? That sounds like a good date night thing. Kind of romantic."

Jimmy mentally cursed Libby. He knew that she had set him up. But at least Cindy was talking to him. "Betty's out of town this weekend. Besides, she doesn't like to go up in the mountains because she always gets attacked by mosquitoes. Besides, this is purely scientific."

"Right. Of course," Cindy responded casually. "Um, yeah, I can probably make it. What time?"

"Well, the _best_ time to see them is at like two or three in the morning. Is that okay?"

Cindy laughed. "Yeah, right. Like my parents would let me go out at two in the morning with a boy."

"Well, I don't think we're going to get a good view if we go earlier," Jimmy reasoned.

"You're parents are okay with you being out that late?" Cindy inquired.

Jimmy shrugged. "I told them it was for school and they were fine."

"Jimmy Neutron! You lied to your parents?" Cindy patronized.

"No! It is for school. Mr. Elliot said that we could watch the shower for extra credit."

"Like you need extra credit in physics! You've actually been in space, dork," Cindy teased. "I'll ask my parents, but I can't guarantee anything."

"Awesome!" Jimmy beamed. "Hey, I have to go, but I'll talk to you later?"

Cindy nodded and smiled. "Of course. And thanks for the flower."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad you're not mad at me anymore." Jimmy smiled and turned to leave.

* * *

"I still can't believe that my dad said it was okay for me to come with you tonight," Cindy said as she got into the passenger seat of Jimmy's car.

"I know. How did you convince him?" Jimmy asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"I just told him it was for school, and that I was going with you. Despite what my mother says, my dad really likes you. He trusts you. I do have to check in every hour, so I mean it's not like I'm totally free."

"Your dad likes me?" Jimmy was shocked. He had always assumed that the Vortex family had something against him.

"Well, yeah. You've always been polite and you always invited me on your adventures with you. My dad paid attention to those things. My mom can't see passed your destructive behavior, but my dad sees the good."

Jimmy smiled to himself. "Wait a minute. Destructive behavior? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know. All those times that you nearly destroyed the town, like when you created those nanobots. Or when you created that ice age. Or how about when your clones got out of hand? And that was just in the fifth grade!"

"Okay, okay. Maybe things got a little out of hand when we were kids, but you have to admit, we had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, we did have a lot of fun."

After they got a few miles into the mountain, Jimmy pulled over and shut off the car. Cindy followed suit as Jimmy grabbed his notebook and got out of the car.

"It's so dark," Cindy commented. "I don't think I'll be able to see what I'm writing."

"No worries," Jimmy said as he pulled out a small flashlight. "Just keep it off when we're making observations. The less light pollution, the better."

"Roger that, Nerd-tron."

Jimmy rolled his eyes and smiled at the childhood nickname.

Jimmy and Cindy sat on the hood of Jimmy's car and looked for meteors. After about twenty minutes, Cindy got up and mentioned having to check in with her dad. As Cindy walked away Jimmy's phone alerted him to a new text message.

 _Betty: Are you awake?_

Jimmy wondered why Betty was up. _Jimmy: Surprisingly, yes. Why are you awake?_

 _Betty: Couldn't sleep. What about you? Science project?_

 _Jimmy: Sort of. I'm watching the meteor shower for Mr. Elliot's class. Extra credit._

 _Betty: I didn't think you would need extra credit in a science class. ;)_

 _Jimmy: It doesn't hurt to have some cushion._

"Who are you texting?" Cindy asked as she wandered back over to the car.

"Betty. She said she couldn't sleep." Jimmy tucked his phone back in his pocket.

"Doesn't trust you, hmm?"

"What do you mean?" Jimmy questioned.

"With me. I mean, if I'm being honest, if my boyfriend were out late with another girl I'd have trouble sleeping too."

"Betty doesn't know I came with you."

"Oh."

"Should she?"

"I guess it's your choice." Cindy's mood had shifted.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"I just feel like you're trying to live two lives. Why can't you date Betty and be friends with me?"

"I thought I was?" Jimmy could sense Cindy getting upset.

"Not really! First, you forget that you made plans with me and you spend the entire day with Betty. Then, you apologize to me with coffee and my favorite flower, and now you won't tell Betty that you're stargazing with your best friend!"

"I didn't think it was something she needed to know; much less something she would care about! There's nothing going on between us, so what does it matter? She knows we're just friends, Cindy."

Cindy said nothing. What could she say? From Jimmy's perspective, they were just friends. She couldn't tell him how she felt. It wouldn't be fair. Being friends with Jimmy was getting too complicated.

"I should probably get home," Cindy finally stated.

Jimmy wanted to convince her to stay, but he could sense that there would be no arguing with her. Cindy had made up her mind. Jimmy sighed and packed up his things.

Jimmy pulled into his driveway. The ride home had been silent. He watched as Cindy unbuckled herself and gathered her things.

"Hey," Jimmy started. Cindy paused and looked at him. "Are we okay? I hate to leave if you're still mad at me."

"Of course we're okay," Cindy said quietly. "I overreacted. It's none of my business what you do or do not tell your girlfriend. I'm sorry."

Jimmy nodded. He unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of his car. Cindy did the same and quietly closed the passenger door. Jimmy walked over to Cindy's side of the car.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight. Hopefully you got some good notes." Jimmy dug the toe of his sneaker into the driveway.

"I think I got enough in order to get at least a few extra credit points," Cindy replied. She shifted her backpack on her shoulder.

They both stood in silence for several minutes. Cindy's mind was racing. What was Jimmy thinking? She felt like there was more that he wanted to say. But what more could he have to say?

Jimmy's heart pounded. What was he doing? He thought back to the conversation he had with Sheen: "You can like two people at the same time. Just be careful." But did he like Cindy? That question had been haunting him ever since Sheen planted the idea in his head.

"I should go," Cindy muttered.

"Right. Well, goodnight." Without thinking, Jimmy leaned in and gave Cindy a hug. She tensed for a moment, but Cindy returned the hug, enjoying the warmth the hug offered in the chilly night air.

Cindy had a sudden shock of reality. _What am I doing? He has a girlfriend!_ Cindy thought. She quickly pulled away from the hug and looked at Jimmy, who had a confused look on his face. "I need to get home." Cindy turned on her heels and quickly walked across the street to her house. She made a promise to herself that she wouldn't be that girl who ruined a relationship. Even if that meant avoiding her best friend.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh, Jimmy... you really are clueless. Hugs are so innocent, but can have so many interpretations.**

 **A love... confession? Not really, but Cindy is starting to realize there is more to her friendship with Jimmy.  
** **Do you think Jimmy should tell Betty the whole truth?  
** **Also, next chapter we'll find out why Cindy didn't tell Jimmy how she felt about him at the Winter Formal (you didn't think I would forget, did you?).**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.**


	5. I Would Wait for Ever and Ever

**A/N: New chapter. Yay! This one is called "I Would Wait for Ever and Ever."**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After the meteor shower incident, Jimmy thought about what Cindy had said. He wasn't sure why he didn't tell Betty that he was going with Cindy. At the time, he didn't think it was important. After talking with Cindy though, he realized that she was right: it did sound like he was trying to hide his friendship with Cindy from Betty. Jimmy decided to do the right thing and tell Betty. After all, he was supposed to be building trust with her, and keeping secrets was not the way to do that.

Jimmy pulled into Betty's driveway Monday morning to pick her up for school. She smiled and waved as she closed her front door.

"Good morning, Jimmy! I missed you this weekend."

"Hi, Betty. I missed you too. How was your weekend?" Jimmy replied.

"It was fine. I wish I would have had time to finish my homework."

"Hey, I have something I need to tell you."

Betty stared at Jimmy in stunned silence.

The words spilled out of Jimmy. "Remember Saturday night when you texted me at like two in the morning? I told you I was watching the meteor shower, and that was true, but what I didn't tell you was that I was with Cindy. It wasn't a date or anything. We really were there for Mr. Elliot's class. I didn't think it was that big of a deal so that's why I didn't tell you. Cindy informed me though that it wasn't fair to you that I didn't tell you the whole truth. I'm really sorry. I honestly didn't think it was that big of a deal."

Betty stared at Jimmy. Since she didn't say anything, Jimmy continued. "The only reason I went with Cindy was because I felt bad about ditching her last week at that virus lecture. She was really mad at me, so I wanted to make it up to her. I promise you it wasn't a date. Nothing happened. I can even show you my field notes if you don't believe me."

Betty laughed. "Calm down, it's okay, Jimmy. I mean, Cindy's right: you should have told me, and I'm a little mad, but I know that you guys are friends. And I know that you guys take a lot of the same classes. Of course you're going to hang out with her and do homework. I like Cindy. She's a good person. She's kind of bossy, but I do like her. And to be fair, I have been monopolizing your time lately."

Jimmy sighed. "I'm still trying to figure out how to balance my relationship and my friendship. Cindy's been frustrated with me lately."

Betty laughed. "Well of course she is! I'm honestly surprised she hasn't tried to rip my head off."

"She's really not like that anymore," Jimmy defended Cindy. "She's gotten a lot better at reigning in her emotions. Now instead yelling at me, she ignores me. Somehow that's worse though."

"Hey, thanks for telling me the truth. Now I know for sure that I made the right choice getting back together with you." Betty kissed Jimmy on the cheek as he pulled into the school parking lot.

Jimmy and Betty walked into the school holding hands. Betty was jabbering about prom coming up at the end of the week. Jimmy was only half listening. Betty's comment about getting back together stuck in his head. She said that she knew it was the right choice. But Jimmy wasn't sure if that's how he felt. Sure, he liked Betty. She was a nice, smart girl and she was really pretty. She was kind to everyone, and she was really fun to be around. But there just wasn't a spark.

As Jimmy and Betty rounded the corner, Jimmy saw Cindy at her locker, talking to Libby. He and Betty wandered over to say hello.

Libby's eyes darted to the approaching couple and quickly back to Cindy. Cindy glanced over her shoulder and slammed her locker shut. "I have to get to class. See you later, Libs." Cindy walked off, not even acknowledging Jimmy and Betty.

"Hey, Libby. What's up with her?" Jimmy asked.

Libby cocked an eyebrow. "You tell me. Hi, Betty." Libby turned and followed in the direction that Cindy went.

"Jimmy, what's going on? Are they mad at me?"

"I have no idea. But I'm going to find out. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Betty nodded. Jimmy gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and followed after Libby.

"Libby, what the hell?" Jimmy hollered.

"Jimmy, you really are a piece of work." Libby stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"What are you talking about?"

"Cindy told me about what happened at the meteor shower. She doesn't want to be your home-wrecker."

"Is this about me not telling Betty what I was doing Saturday night? Because I talked to her about it this morning. She was mad at me for not telling the whole truth, but she said she understands that Cindy and I are friends. Betty and I already made up. Her exact words were, 'thanks for telling me the truth. Now I know for sure that I made the right choice getting back together with you.'"

Libby's face softened. She knew Cindy's side of the story, but from Jimmy's perspective, things should go back to normal. Libby could see that Cindy and Jimmy's friendship was getting too complicated.

"Well, good," Libby finally stated. "But be, honest: do you like Cindy?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? We're friends. I thought you, Carl, and Sheen would be happy about that."

"We are, it's just…if you like her tell me now, because the vibes I get from what Sheen tells me make me think that you do."

"So what if I do? I'm with Betty, and I worked really hard to get back together with her. I'm not going to lose it because you all decided to stick your noses in my love life!" Jimmy turned around and stormed away.

"Your non-answer only confirms my theory!" Libby hollered back, knowing it would tick Jimmy off.

Jimmy stopped by his locker to drop his things off. He thought about what Sheen had asked him on the day he got back together with Betty: 'What's holding you back? Is it Cindy?' How was it possible for Jimmy to like two girls that were practically opposites of each other? Betty was kind and sweet. Cindy was stubborn and intimidating. But Cindy was kind to those who proved that they deserved her kindness, and she was funny, and smart, and she was loyal to her friends. Jimmy realized that Sheen was right. And now he was in deep trouble.

* * *

"I'm not going, Libby."

"What? Why not?" Libby pouted.

"It's too hard. I don't want to watch him with her. It reminds me too much of Winter Formal."

"What happened at Winter Formal? I thought you guys went together." Libby was genuinely confused.

"We did, and it was really fun, but at the end of the night, as we were leaving we ran into Betty. She was crying, she said something about how she didn't have a date, but her friends made her come anyway. And then they all ditched her. I sat with them as Jimmy tried to console her. I felt sorry for her. Betty's not a bad person, in any sense of the word. I get why Jimmy likes her. So when he asked if it was okay if we gave her a ride home, I couldn't say no. Who am I to make her night more miserable than it already was?" Cindy explained.

"You never told me that," Libby said.

Cindy just shrugged and continued with her story. "I wanted to tell Jimmy how I felt about him that night, and I still planned on it even though we had Betty, but when we dropped Betty off at her house, he walked her to the door, gave her a hug, and she kissed him on the cheek. I knew that I had missed my opportunity."

"I can't believe he did that! He was on a date with you!" Libby was getting angry.

Cindy shook her head. "It wasn't a date. We went as friends because I didn't want to be your third wheel for the billionth time, which is also another reason why I don't want to go. I'm sure Sheen hates it when I tag along on your dates."

"I don't mind actually," Sheen said as he came back in the room with three sodas and a bag of potato chips. "If we didn't want you to come with us, we wouldn't invite you. That sounds harsh, but you know it's true. Libby and I do plenty of stuff just the two of us. We want you to come with us."

"Well, thanks for clearing that up, Sheen. But I still don't want to go to the dance. I can't go and watch him fall for the wrong girl."

Sheen gave Libby a look before he said, "Look, Cindy. I get it. We all know that you like Jimmy. He likes you, too. He just won't admit it. He told me that he's not even that sure if he wants to be with Betty. I think the only reason he wanted to get back together with her was because he thought that was what he wanted. After they started dating, he wasn't sure. He was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince Betty that he wanted to be with her." Sheen felt a little guilty for betraying his friend's trust, but Cindy deserved to know the truth.

"Well, it must have worked because he's as happy as a clam." Cindy rolled her eyes.

"He's in denial."

"Guys, I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but I've already made my decision. I'm not going to the dance. I can't."

Libby nodded. "I understand. I just hate to think of you sitting at home all miserable."

"I'll be fine. I want you to have fun. Don't let me bring you down."

"Will you still come over and help me get ready?" Libby asked.

"Of course I will!"

"Okay, enough prom talk. The dance isn't until tomorrow. Can we please watch this movie?" Sheen begged.

Libby and Cindy laughed as they settled into the couch and hit play.

* * *

The next day Cindy woke up to the sound of the vacuum coming from downstairs. She was confused. Vacuuming was one of her chores. She looked at her phone. It was after nine. Why had her parents let her sleep in? They never let her sleep in on Saturdays.

Cindy got out of bed and walked downstairs. Her dad shut the vacuum off when he saw his daughter standing on the stairs.

"Morning. Sorry, did I wake you? I was just trying to get the downstairs chores done," Mr. Vortex stated.

"What are you doing my chores for?"

Mr. Vortex smiled sympathetically. "It's not a big deal, sweetheart. I know you've been going through some stuff, even though you won't tell your parents what's wrong, so I thought I'd give you a break."

"Thanks, Dad. But that's not necessary. I'm fine."

"Cindy, I know prom is today. And your mother told me you decided not to go. Why is that?"

"I just don't feel like going."

"See, why don't I believe you?"

Cindy sighed. "It's too hard, Dad. I'm sick of going to dances without a date. I hate tagging along with Sheen and Libby; I feel like a little kid. And I can't deal with watching all the couples slow dance." Cindy offered all the typical answers, hoping her dad would fall for it.

"It's Jimmy isn't it?"

"Is it that obvious?" Cindy grimaced.

Mr. Vortex laughed. "Sweetheart, I knew that you liked Jimmy from the moment the Neutron's moved in across the street."

"Oh my god, that's so embarrassing!" Cindy buried her face in her hands as she sat down on the staircase.

Mr. Vortex joined his daughter on the steps. "Not more embarrassing than your grandma having to ask your mother out for me."

Cindy burst out laughing. "Grandma had to ask mom out _for_ you?"

Mr. Vortex nodded. "I couldn't utter two sentences to your mom. I was so head-over-heels for her. Your mother was, and is, so independent and strong-willed. It's petrifying. You are a lot like her. So, tell me, what did Jimmy do this time?"

"It's my fault really. A few weeks ago Jimmy asked me to help him get back together with his ex-girlfriend, and I stupidly said yes. So of course he's going to the dance with her, and I don't want to watch them be all lovey with each other."

"See? Was that so hard? If you would have shared this with me three weeks ago I could have gone over to the Neutron's to tell Jimmy that he's got the wrong girl."

"And that is exactly why I didn't tell you," Cindy teased. She kissed her father on the cheek before standing up. "Thanks, Dad. You definitely made me feel better."

"You're welcome, now _you_ can finish your chores," Mr. Vortex joked.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so I kind of didn't want to make Betty the jealous type. Like Cindy said, "Betty's not a bad person, in any sense of the word." That's what frustrates Cindy the most about Jimmy's relationship with her: it would be easy to hate Betty if she was a horrible person, but she's not.**

 **Mr. Vortex isn't a character I know a lot about. I wanted Cindy to have a good relationship with her dad, so I made it so. It's not that she has a bad relationship with her mother, it's just different. I imagined Cindy's dad to be a bit more relaxed than Mrs. Vortex, but he still expects a lot from his daughter.**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think.**


	6. You Say You Want Me

**A/N: To refresh your brains, Jimmy finally came to his senses and realized that he does, in fact, like Cindy. Also, Cindy has decided not to attend the dance. I think you're all caught up. This chapter is called** **"You Say You Want Me."**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jimmy woke up Saturday morning to his mother hollering up the stairs that he needed to come down to breakfast. He groaned and rolled over, covering his head with his pillow. He had spent the entire week thinking about prom, and the choices he'd made. It had led to many sleepless nights.

"Jimmy, your breakfast is getting cold," Mrs. Neutron said sweetly as she opened his bedroom door.

"Can you give me a minute, Mom? I'm not having a great morning," Jimmy muttered from under his pillow.

"What's wrong, dear? I thought you would be excited. You have the dance tonight, don't you?"

"Yeah, but I think I'm taking the wrong person," Jimmy admitted.

"Wrong person? Aren't you taking Betty?"

"Yeah. Mom, do you like Betty?" Jimmy inquired. He sat up and faced his mother.

"Of course I do. I think she's a nice girl. She is very polite and kind."

"Right, but you like Cindy too, don't you? And she's not like that at all."

Mrs. Neutron tried to hide a smile. "That's not very nice to say. Cindy is a lovely girl, you know I like her. What is this all about?"

Jimmy sighed, unsure of where to begin, but also annoyed at himself for starting this conversation with his mother. "I think I like Cindy. Like, more than a friend. And I think I made a mistake getting back together with Betty. I don't know what to do."

"Oh, honey," Mrs. Neutron consoled. She sat down next to her son and patted his knee. "I'm glad you're being honest with yourself, but you made a commitment to go to the dance with Betty. It wouldn't be fair to her for you to cancel."

"I know you're right, Mom, but what about Cindy?"

"Honey, you don't even know if she feels the same way about you. Go to the dance, be a gentleman, and have a good time. If after that you still don't want to be with Betty, then you need to tell her. Then, and only then, should you tell Cindy how you feel."

"Thanks, Mom. A little harsh, but I think it's what I needed." Jimmy smiled.

"You're welcome," Mrs. Neutron said as she stood up. "And for the record, I think you and Cindy would be perfect together."

"Mom! Oh my god!" Jimmy could feel his face get warm with embarrassment.

Mrs. Neutron laughed as she walked back downstairs.

* * *

Jimmy adjusted his bowtie as he looked in the mirror. He was trying to have a positive attitude about the dance, after what his mother had told him. He knew she was right. He needed to uphold his commitment to Betty. Especially after he worked so hard to get there.

Jimmy glanced at his watch. He really needed to get going if he wanted to make his dinner reservations. Jimmy sighed and walked downstairs. He walked into the kitchen to grab the corsage from the refrigerator.

"Looking snazzy, Jimbo," Mr. Neutron commented.

"Thanks, Dad. Does my tie look okay?"

"It sure does, son. Betty is one lucky girl to be getting you for a date."

"Thanks," Jimmy muttered. He could tell his mother hadn't informed Mr. Neutron about their conversation.

"Oh, Jimmy. You look so handsome!" Mrs. Neutron came in, wielding a camera. She started taking pictures.

"Mom, I don't have time. I need to go pick up Betty, or I'm going to lose my dinner reservation," Jimmy complained.

"Oh all right." Mrs. Neutron put the camera down and walked her son to the front door. "Don't forget what we talked about. Be a gentleman, and have fun. This is Betty's last prom. She deserves to have a good time."

"I know. Thanks, Mom." Jimmy let his mom kiss him on the cheek before walking out the front door.

He closed the door and took a deep breath. He walked over to his car and fished his keys out of his pocket. He did a mental check to make sure he had everything. He glanced at his watch one last time.

His eyes wandered over to Cindy's house. He looked up at her bedroom window, but the shades were drawn. He was tempted to go over to her house and tell her how he felt. He knew that was a bad idea though. He shook his head to get rid of the thought and climbed into his car. He promised himself that if he saw her at the dance, he would politely say hello, but would be sure to spend his time with his date.

* * *

Jimmy stood next to Betty as she was talking to her friends. Ever since they had arrived at the dance, Betty had been talking to her friends. Jimmy had a feeling that her friends didn't approve of him, and he was not-so-subtly ignored by all of them. He glanced around the room, looking for somebody, anybody he recognized. He finally spotted Sheen and Libby across the room. His heart raced, knowing Cindy was probably around too. He knew that he had promised his mother and himself that he would spend time with Betty, but he was getting tired of standing around listening to Betty and her friends talk about seemingly unimportant things.

"Betty?"

Betty stopped talking and turned to look at Jimmy. "Yeah?"

"I saw Sheen and Libby over there. I'm going to go say hi, but I'll be right back."

Betty smiled. "Okay. Don't take too long." She kissed him on the cheek before turning back to her conversation.

Jimmy walked toward Sheen and Libby. "Hey, guys. How's it going?"

"Great! How are you and Betty?" Libby asked.

"Good. She's talking to some friends. I don't think they like me that much," Jimmy confessed.

"To be fair, you did break up with her once. They're probably just looking out for her best interest," Libby explained.

"Right. Hey, where's Cindy?" Jimmy tried to ask casually.

Libby cocked an eyebrow. "You're joking right?" Jimmy just shrugged. "She's didn't come."

"What? Why not? I thought she was coming with you guys."

Sheen smacked his head and muttered something under his breath.

"Don't you remember that you guys are somewhat in a fight?" Libby stated.

"You mean about the meteor shower? Why would that stop her from coming to the dance? It's not like I was her date or something," Jimmy tried to rationalize.

Libby sighed in frustration and tried a different approach. "Jimmy, does a lecture about viruses ring any bells?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh my god, you are so clueless." Libby walked away.

"I'm confused." Jimmy furrowed his brow.

"Dude," Sheen said. "Remember that conversation we had with the hypothetical scenario about Cindy liking you?" Jimmy simply nodded. "Not hypothetical."

"What?"

"Cindy likes you, man. And the only reason she helped you get back together with Betty was because she wanted you to be happy. That whole science lecture thing was just a way for her to hang out with you so you would realize that she likes you. After you 'forgot' about the lecture you tried to apologize by taking her stargazing and you told her you were 'just friends.' Which I know you want to believe, but deep down you know that's not true. She didn't want to come because she said—and don't you dare tell her I told you this—that it was too painful to watch you fall for the wrong girl."

"Is that true?" Jimmy looked at Libby who had come back over to the boys.

"Yeah, it is. So what are you going to do about it?"

Jimmy's heart started to race. His stomach lurched and his palms got sweaty. Everything his mother had told him now seemed obsolete. Now that he knew how Cindy felt, he didn't care about what he was morally obligated to do. "I have to go." Jimmy turned to leave.

"Go where?" Sheen hollered after him.

"To tell Cindy I love her."

"Yes!" Libby high-fived Sheen as Jimmy smiled and shook his head in disbelief.

"But what about Betty?" Libby asked.

"Oh crap, Betty." Jimmy thought quickly about his options. "I seriously can't believe I'm about to break up with someone at the prom. And the high school superlative for biggest jerk goes to Jimmy Neutron," Jimmy muttered.

Sheen laughed, and Libby gave Jimmy a sympathetic smile. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Jimmy took a deep breath and walked back over to Betty.

"Hey, Jimmy. How are Sheen and Libby?" Betty asked.

"Good. Hey, can I talk to you in private?" Jimmy jumped right to the point.

One of Betty's friends gave her a pointed look. Betty rolled her eyes in response. "Of course, Jimmy."

Jimmy led Betty into the lobby. "Betty, I have to go."

"What?"

"I need to leave."

"Why?" Betty asked, concerned.

Jimmy took a second to think about what to say before he said the most clichéd line in the book. "Betty, it's not you, it's me."

"Oh no, Jimmy Neutron, you are not breaking up with me at the prom!" Betty said trying to hold back tears.

Jimmy didn't say anything, but he gave Betty an apologetic look.

"Oh my god, you're breaking up with me at the prom." Betty whispered.

"I'm really sorry," Jimmy muttered.

"It's Cindy isn't it?" Betty asked.

Jimmy was surprised by her response. "How did you know?"

"Oh, it's so obvious! Jimmy, ever since you stood her up for that lecture thing, you've been desperately trying to make up for it. It's okay. I get it. Besides, we both knew this wouldn't last. I mean, I'm graduating in less than a month. I like you Jimmy, but anyone with a brain can see that you and Cindy belong together."

Jimmy stood there stunned for several seconds. He couldn't believe how cool Betty was being about all of this. Finally he stated, "For the record, I didn't stand her up. I forgot that we had made plans."

"Oh, just go already!" Betty smiled.

"Thanks, Betty. I seriously can't thank you enough." Jimmy gave Betty a quick hug before turning and running out of the building.

"Good luck!" Betty hollered after him.

Jimmy fumbled for his car keys in his pocket. When he tried to start the car, nothing worked. The battery was dead. "Great! This is just perfect!" Jimmy said to himself. "It's fine, I'll just walk. It's not that far. If I cut through the park, I'll get there even faster."

Jimmy started running. His excitement and adrenaline were accelerating him. He couldn't believe it had taken him this long to realize that he was in love with Cindy. He knew that he had always cared about her, but he had shoved his real feelings for her so far down inside that he forgot that they were there. That wasn't true. He always knew they were there, he just ignored them, assuming that the feelings would never be reciprocated, so there was no purpose in acting on them. It was different now. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

As if out of nowhere, it started to rain. "Seriously!?" Jimmy shouted at the sky. He had another mile to go, and it was starting to pour. Jimmy regretted all the times in gym class where he had debated his way out of the running requirements.

When he finally reached his neighborhood, Jimmy was soaking wet. "Mom's going to kill me for ruining my suit. I hope this is worth it." He took a deep breath and knocked on Cindy's door.

* * *

 **A/N: So incredibly unrealistic I'm dying a little, but, hey, who said fanfiction had to be realistic? I honestly cannot think of a single person who would be okay with being dumped at the prom so that their date can go confess their love to some other person, but Betty is too nice for her own good.**

 **Next chapter will probably be the last one (boo), and will focus on Cindy's prom day endeavors.**

 **P.S. Cliffhangers are my favorite! (but you probably already knew that)**

 **T** **hanks for** **reading! Let me know what you think.**


	7. That's How You Got the Girl

**A/N: Another chapter (the last one, to be exact)! Last chapter was Jimmy's prom day endeavors, and this chapter is Cindy's. Anyway, this chapter is called "That's How You Got the Girl."**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After the conversation with her father, Cindy was feeling a little better. She decided to head down to the karate studio to blow off a little steam. It was the perfect way to forget about Jimmy and prom.

She walked into the studio prepared to beat on a punching bag until it burst. As she opened the door, Master Ishida was finishing his morning class. Cindy smiled weakly at him as he bowed to his students before excusing them.

"What are you doing here?" Master Ishida asked, walking over to Cindy.

"I'm sorry for blaming you. I don't think I actually apologized for that," Cindy stated. "I know it wasn't your fault, but I wanted to blame somebody for my own stupidity. Which I realize is unfair to you. I'm really sorry. Please forgive me." Cindy bowed her head.

Master Ishida smiled before pulling Cindy into a hug. "Apology not necessary, but accepted. Thank you." He released Cindy from his embrace and looked her in the eye. "I know that it was hard for you to come down here and say that. I appreciate it. I'm sorry too. You're like a kid sister to me, you know? I want to be there for you and help you out when you need it. I guess sometimes my 'brotherly advice' backfires."

Cindy laughed. "Yeah, I bet it would be tough having me for a sister. Maybe that's why my parents stopped at one kid."

Master Ishida laughed loudly. "Cindy, you really are too much. So, what brings you by on a Saturday?"

"Today is prom, and I decided not to go. After the museum thing, Jimmy tried to make it up to me, which, unbeknownst to him, only made things worse. So I've decided to avoid him completely because that's easier than seeing him fall deeper for Betty."

"I can't say I blame you, but don't you think he deserves an explanation? I mean, isn't he one of your best friends?" Master Ishida inquired.

"Well, yes, but what am I supposed to say? 'Jimmy, I love you and seeing you with Betty makes me sad.'"

"If that's how you really feel, then yes. So, love, hmm?" Master Ishida smiled knowingly.

Cindy rolled her eyes as she shoved passed her instructor. "Shut up."

"Is that really the last thing you want to say to me before I leave?" Master Ishida laughed.

"Leave?" Cindy stopped and turned around. "Where are you going?"

"Hello? My meet in Japan? I leave today," Master Ishida explained.

"Oh my god, I completely forgot!" Cindy exclaimed. "Wow, I can't believe it's here already. Good luck, I know you're going to do great!" Cindy gave her instructor a hug.

"Thanks, I think it will go well. But if we're being honest, I'm more excited about seeing Rini. Can I tell you a secret? I'm going to ask her to marry me!"

"Hiro, that's wonderful—er, sorry, Master Ishida." Cindy corrected before cursing herself for her slip up. She knew that her 'punishment' for incorrectly addressing an instructor was twenty-five push-ups; she hadn't had a slip up in months.

"I'm so excited, I'm not even going to make you do push-ups for that one!" Master Ishida was elated. He looked at the clock on the wall and his eyes widened. "Yikes, I have to get going. You're more than welcome to stay here, Cindy. Just make sure the door is locked when you leave. I have to go, but let me give you one last piece of 'brotherly advice:' tell Jimmy how you feel. I know that I told you before that it was okay to not tell him, but now you've got nothing to lose. If he doesn't feel the same, his loss. And if he does, well, please leave out the more graphic details." Master Ishida laughed.

Cindy smiled. "Thank you, Master Ishida. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Master Ishida bowed, smiled, and left the building. Cindy waved before turning around and heading to the locker room.

* * *

Cindy left the karate studio still unsure about following Master Ishida's advice. She had a lot to lose by telling Jimmy how she felt. If she told him, and he didn't feel the same, she would be heartbroken. She would lose her best friend. If she told him, and he did feel the same, she would still lose her best friend because he was with Betty. She couldn't expect him to break up with Betty just because she had confessed her feelings to him. She needed to come up with a solution.

Cindy made her way over to Libby's house in the late afternoon to help Libby get ready for the dance. After helping Libby with her hair and make-up all that was left was to put on the dress. Libby had picked out a beautiful gown, and Cindy couldn't help but take pictures of her best friend as she twirled around her room.

"You look great, Libby," Cindy stated as she took one last candid photo.

"Do you think Sheen will like it?" Libby asked.

"Of course he will! You could wear a burlap sack and Sheen would still think you're beautiful."

"Are you really sure you don't want to come? It won't be the same without you there," Libby practically begged.

"I'm positive. Please don't worry about me, Libs. This is just something I have to do."

"I still think you should listen to Hiro. What have you got to lose by telling Jimmy the truth?"

"A lot more than you would think," Cindy responded. "Come on, Sheen will be here any minute."

The girls made their way downstairs where Libby's parents took pictures of Libby. Cindy smiled to herself. She was happy for her friend, and knew that Libby would have a great time without her tagging along on yet another date.

The doorbell rang and Libby smiled as Mr. Folfax opened the door to an eager Sheen. Cindy took a picture of Sheen's reaction to seeing Libby.

"Wow, you look even more beautiful than you do every day," Sheen said breathlessly.

Libby responded by kissing Sheen deeply.

"Ahem," Mr. Folfax interrupted. "There are parents in the room, mind you."

Cindy laughed as Libby sheepishly pulled away from her boyfriend.

Sheen laughed nervously. "What time would you like your daughter home by?"

Mr. Folfax smiled. "Just call if you're going to be later than midnight. I trust that you'll take good care of my daughter."

"Thanks, Dad." Libby gave her father a kiss on the cheek before walking out the door with Sheen. "Bye, Cindy! I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Bye, guys. Have fun!" Cindy hollered back. She gathered her things, said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Folfax, and headed home.

Cindy was pulling into her driveway after helping Libby get ready for the dance when Jimmy walked out of his house. Cindy stayed in the car and watched him in the rearview mirror.

He looked at his watch, glanced at the corsage in his hand, and fished his keys out of his pocket. He took a moment and stared at Cindy's house. He shook his head and got into his car. Cindy didn't get out of the car until Jimmy had turned the corner at the end of their street.

Cindy walked inside and plopped down on the couch.

"Last chance, dear. You can either come to dinner with your father and me, or you can stay here. Or if you hurry, we can take you to the dance," Mrs. Vortex offered.

"No thanks, Mom. I'll just stay here. Maybe I'll order a pizza or something."

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the dance? It's the last one for the school year."

"I'm positive. Besides, I'm a junior. I can go next year."

"All right. Your father and I will be home late. Please get to bed at a decent hour."

"Okay, Mom."

"Here," Mrs. Vortex handed Cindy a twenty dollar bill. "Don't forget to tip the delivery boy."

"Wow, thanks, Mom." Cindy was shocked. Her mother never gave her money.

"You're welcome, dear." Mrs. Vortex turned to walk out the door, but stopped suddenly. "Cindy? It's going to be okay. Don't let one boy ruin your high school experience." Mrs. Vortex turned and continued to walk out the door.

Cindy was speechless. Her parents had always seemed uninterested in her personal life, that she was shocked that they actually paid attention.

Cindy ordered her pizza and flipped on the TV. She needed a distraction. It was a lot harder than she thought to keep her mind preoccupied. She kept thinking about Jimmy and what he was doing at the dance. She wondered why he had stared at her house before he left to pick up Betty. Cindy thought about what her mother had said: "don't let one boy ruin your high school experience." Her mother was right. Why was she letting Jimmy dictate her life? Cindy made the toughest decision she had ever had to make: she needed to cut Jimmy out of her life. This was more than just avoiding him. Everything Cindy did always revolved around Jimmy. It was making her miserable. It was too difficult to be friends with him. There would always be that little sense of 'what if.' And it bothered her because she would never know the answer.

Cindy pulled her phone out and opened up her photo gallery to the picture from Winter Formal. There was no reason to keep it. Jimmy was with Betty now. And Cindy was convinced that he really only saw her as a friend.

Cindy clicked the trash can icon on her phone. When the message popped up asking if she really wanted to delete the image, Cindy's finger hovered over the screen. Deleting the picture would feel so final. From that moment on, she wouldn't even be friends with Jimmy. It would be too painful.

There was a knock on the door before Cindy could make a decision. She locked her phone and set it on the table by the front door. Assuming it was her pizza, Cindy fished the money her mother left her out of her pocket. She unlocked the door, turned the knob, and pulled the door open, revealing Jimmy standing on her porch, in his prom suit, soaking wet.

"Are you insane? What are you doing here?" Cindy yelled over the patter of rain.

"Cindy, I… I broke up with Betty." Jimmy shivered.

"You what? At the prom? That's terrible!"

"Yeah, I know, but I had to. I had to come see you. I'm sorry for everything. I've been such an idiot. I know you said you already forgave me, but I know that's a lie."

"It's not a lie. I'm fine. I told you not to worry about it." Cindy crossed her arms.

"No, it's not okay. I didn't realize that my being with Betty was hard on you. I was selfish. I got so caught up in trying to rekindle my relationship, that I put my friendships on the back burner. I didn't think about how my relationship might be hurting the other people in my life," Jimmy explained.

Cindy's face softened.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner. But I don't want to fall for the wrong girl—"

"I'm going to kill Sheen," Cindy interrupted, her cheeks turning a pale pink.

"Cindy, I love you," Jimmy finished his thought, unfazed by the death threat to his best friend.

Cindy was caught off guard. "You… you what?"

"I love you, Cindy. I think I always have. I only now realized it. I just hope I'm not too la—"

Jimmy was stopped short when Cindy grabbed his face and kissed him.

Jimmy quickly composed himself and wrapped his hands around Cindy's waist, pulling her closer to him.

The rain continued to fall, soaking every inch of her, but Cindy didn't care. She kissed Jimmy; something she had waited a long time to do.

Jimmy pulled out of the kiss, out of breath. "So I take it you feel the same?"

Cindy nodded. She was lightheaded, and she only slightly comprehended what Jimmy said, she just wanted to keep kissing him.

Jimmy smiled and placed his lips on Cindy's again. He liked kissing her. It was like nothing he had experienced before. Jimmy could feel his heart pounding against his chest, his stomach was constantly doing backflips, and the rush of energy running through his body was enough to make him dizzy. In that moment, he knew that he had made the right choice.

The rain eventually slowed to a drizzle, and Jimmy and Cindy were sitting on Cindy's front porch. Cindy was resting her head on Jimmy's shoulder. They were both completely soaked and were shivering, but they didn't care.

"What made you realize that you love me?" Cindy asked. She liked hearing that Jimmy loved her.

Jimmy laughed lightly. "If I'm being honest, it was Sheen. He asked me why I went to you for help to get Betty back. He called me out on a lot of things that I said, and he made me question my seriousness about being with Betty. I think I was trying to prove him wrong for a long time, until I couldn't deny it any longer: I love you, Cindy Vortex." Jimmy leaned in and gave Cindy a gentle kiss.

Cindy smiled. "I like hearing you say that," she admitted.

"I love you, Cindy Vortex," Jimmy repeated. "Although you said you felt the same way, I still haven't heard you say it back to me."

"You want me to say, 'I love you, Cindy Vortex'?" Cindy teased.

Jimmy lightly shoved her. "You know what I mean."

Cindy laughed. "Of course I love you, you idiot."

Jimmy laughed. "Why did I think you would respond any different?"

Cindy kissed Jimmy before saying seriously, "I love you, Jimmy Neutron." She shivered slightly from the cold.

Jimmy smiled and gave Cindy's hand a squeeze as he stood up. "We should probably change before we catch pneumonia."

"You're probably right. Wait just a second though." Cindy opened her front door and grabbed her phone from a nearby table. She opened up Snapchat to take a picture.

"What are you doing?" Jimmy asked, smiling.

"Sending evidence to Libby," Cindy replied nonchalantly. "Say cheese!" Cindy held the camera up to take a selfie, and just like the Winter Formal, Jimmy kissed Cindy on the cheek right as her finger pressed the phone screen to take the picture.

Cindy captioned the picture with "That's how he got the girl!"

* * *

 **A/N: Darn! That's the end. (Schoolhouse Rock anyone?)**

 **This story was so fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm sad that this is the end, but now that this whole story is posted, I feel like I can focus on my other stories more. Thank you for reading. I appreciate your support and reviews. I hope to continue to write for this amazing fandom. Who knows where my next inspiration will come from?! (Me. I do. Although I want to finish _Party at a Rich Dude's House_ before I post anything new).**

 **So... definitely keep an eye out! New chapters for _Party_ will be coming soon, and possibly a new story!**


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